Insoluble fluorescent particles with targets such as ligands, proteins or peptides capable of binding to a desired molecule or biological entity displayed on the surface have uses in biological applications. At present, such particles are typically prepared by first forming a particle of a suitable material such as an organic polymer, wherein a low molecular weight fluorescent molecule is incorporated, coating this particle with a hydrophilic polymer, attaching chemically active groups to this material and then in turn immobilising the desired peptide or protein in a purified form to the particle through reaction with the chemically active groups. The production of such particles is often cumbersome and expensive as it typically involves several steps, including formation of the fluorescent particles themselves, activation of these particles, synthesis or purification of the desired peptide or protein as well as the step of immobilising the purified peptide or protein to the particle.
The present inventors have found that useful fluorescent protein particles can be made that have applications which include analytical and diagnostic applications.